Friday, October 26, 2018

Troubled carrier Jet Airways may look to resize its team of pilots soon — a large chunk of whom currently fly ATRs—with a smaller number of pilots, sources close to the development told FE. The airline is also reportedly in discussions with US leasing and aircraft finance company GECAS to return 23 of its Boeing 737 narrow body aircraft, some of them grounded, sources said. These persons indicated the airline is understood to be finding it hard to meet the lease payment obligations.

In a response to FE query on pilots and returning of aircraft, a spokesperson for Jet said, “Your information is speculative and incorrect. Jet Airways urges the publication to refrain from such misleading reporting”.

The team could be smaller by around 40-50 pilots, sources said, and FE could not get a definite number. Jet has about 1,800 pilots and is understood to have requested some cabin crew to take leave without pay at its bases in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore and to apply for the same between November 1 and December 20. This was done through a mail to the employees dated October 12. When asked for comments the management said,
26/10/18 Manisha Singhal/Financial Express